Bazaar Find: Love. Hope. Faith.

My parents, my sister, Brianna, and I decided to visit the Manila Sundance Bazaar at the World Trade Center on their last day, January 25, which was last Sunday. It would've been a "normal" trip to a bazaar if it weren't for this one brand that caught my attention:

Love Hope Faith Group is not like any other charity groups. They sell watches, shirts, bags, and chocolates. Weird combination if you think about it, especially when you see chocolates in the mix, but when you REALLY think about it, it works. 50% of their proceeds go to fund the treatments of cancer patients and their beneficiaries.

Their watches come in two sizes: the bigger ones and the smaller ones. Personally, I'm leaning towards the bigger ones. Anyway, The watches cost Php200 each for both sizes. We got two watches last Sunday: one for my sister (the navy blue one) and one for Brianna (hot pink).

The face of the watch is made of hard plastic while the strap is made of rubber. Obviously, Brianna has smaller arms so we had to have more holes punched into the strap - which they do for free on-site - so it would fit her.

My dad bought a black shirt from them. They have 7 sizes available for the shirts: 2XS, XS, S, M, L, XL, and 2XL.

Photo from http://lovehopefaithgroup.com/244-2/.

The shirts have a really simple design but what's written on it is so powerful, you can't help but feel like you need to get into action when you read it. According to their website, it's Php300 per shirt but my dad got his for Php250.

Like I said, they also sell bags and chocolates. Their bags cost Php200 each and the chocolates cost Php50 for the 50-gram pack while the 200-gram pack costs Php150. I didn't get the chance to taste the chocolate even though they had a tray there which - I assume - is for free taste.

Right now, they have an on-going Facebook giveaway for those who have purchased the watches. I entered the giveaway myself even if the watch I was wearing wasn't mine. Hehe. Here's my entry:

Love Hope Faith Group currently doesn't have a physical shop although they have an office in Makati (Lower Ground Cityland 10 Tower 1, H.V. Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City) where you can actually purchase their products. If you already sent in your orders via text (09178884516 and 09228740334), you can pick up your orders in the Love Hope Faith Group Makati office if you are in the area. They can ship your orders as well, if you prefer to have them shipped. They are usually in bazaars, too, so if you'd want to purchase your watch, you can visit them in bazaars. Their bazaar announcements are usually made on their Facebook page.

I really, sincerely hope you guys could check them out. The Love Hope Faith Group lives up to their name; they spread love, hope, and faith not only to their beneficiaries but to all of us as well. 

(This is not a sponsored post. I am just honestly a fan of their advocacy and their products.)

My Little Pony Play Doh Cutie Mark Creators Review

Photo from http://www.mlpmerch.com/2014/10/mlp-play-doh-cutie-mark-creators-images.html

Another Christmas gift from me to Brianna is this My Little Pony Play Doh Cutie Mark Creators set. I found this at the very last minute and decided to buy it for my little girl.

The set comes with 4 small cans of Play Doh:

There are two shades of blue, a purple can, and what looks like a salmon pink colored dough. Like any other Play Doh...uh...doughs, they hardened easily. And just like the other cans we had, I didn't know how to soften them up.

There were two ponies in this set, the first one being Pinkie Pie.

You can mold clay onto her mane and her tail, just like what Brianna's doing in the photo below:

There's also a roller that comes with Pinkie Pie

which produces this:

Those are horseshoes and those with balloons have Pinkie Pie's cutie mark. A cutie mark is a tattoo of sorts that symbolizes the girls'/ponies' destinies. As for Pinkie Pie, she has balloons which apparently means that her destiny is to become a party planner.

The second mold is of Twilight Sparkle:

Like the Pinkie Pie figure, you can mold clay onto her mane, her tail, and her wings. There's also a mold under her hooves, instead of a roller:

and it produces this:

Those are molds of Twilight's cutie mark, the symbol inside her cutie mark, and her crown when she became a princess.

Brianna loves this set so much. She can't get enough of the two figures, she plays with them even without the dough. She also watched a review on YouTube for this and made herself her own video "reviewing" the My Little Pony Play Doh Cutie Mark Creators set. If your child loves My Little Pony, you have got to get her this.

The Doc McStuffins I Feel Better First Aid Kit Review

Now, my favorite among all of the prizes we got from the Doc McStuffins Hugs and Snugs Contest last year: The Doc McStuffins I Feel Better First Aid Kit!

Before anything else, I would just like to say that I am the most excited person to open this toy. Hihi.

Anyway, the box is made of hard plastic, like most organizers available in the market. It has Doc McStuffins stickers, of course. It's pink and purple, to complement the colors of Doc's clothes:

Of course, it came with some doctor stuff that are too adorable!

A. This is a bandaid holder...or whatever it is called. Hihi. It holds all the sticker bandaids in the set.
B. This thermometer doesn't work, obviously. It has smiley faces in different colors ranging from red to blue to "indicate" the patient's temperature.
C. These bangle-like things are "bandaids" for kids. You can actually wear them. One has a pink heart and the other has a purple heart.
D. I believe these are tweezers. It can actually pick-up small stuff like cotton balls, small toys, and stuff but it can't really pullout hair like the real ones.
E. The purple scissors also don't work, even with paper like those plastic scissors you get alongside stationery kits.
F. The last item in the kit is medicine, I have to guess. There's a glass in front of it but you can't take the cap off so there's no use for the glass, I think.

(I'm pretty sure they aren't really called bandaids because it's a brand but whatevs. We've been calling them that for the longest time, just like Pampers.)

Anyway, I only have one complaint on the I Feel Better First Aid Kit: It's so hard for my daughter to open the box. It's simple, yes, because you only press the circle thing right here:

but my daughter can't open it without my help. I think that whatever it is that needs to unlock when you press it doesn't click right away that's why it's pretty hard to open.

Right now, this Doc McStuffins I Feel Better First Aid Kit holds all her pretend doctor toys. She has 3 sets, including the ones that came with this, which is a lot so you have some kind of idea on how roomy it actually is.

In Toy Kingdom, this set retails for Php999. It costs too much, if you ask me, all things considered. That's the reason why I didn't buy it despite the fact that I really wanted it and Brianna wasn't really into it.

All in all, it's a great toy. It helps your kid with his/her pretend play and at the same time, everything in it is too cute for words!

Doc McStuffins' Big Book of Boo Boos

This Big Book of Boo Boos stationery set is part of the prizes we won in Disney Junior's Doc McStuffins Hugs and Snugs Contest last October (I think). I wrapped this alongside one more Doc McStuffins prize and put them under the tree, which she opened during the holidays.

The cardboard covers are colored purple and its pink ring is made of plastic. As opposed to the cover we have, there are no bandages on it. Brianna was just too excited to use it, she put a couple of stickers on the cover.

There were several pages in the Doc McStuffins Big Book of Boo Boos and they all look like this:

To tell you the truth, I'd prefer for it to have more pages than it actually has. Brianna could easily finish all the pages in one sitting...which she almost did had I not stopped her from doing so. Yes, I'm kind of controlling like that.

The book comes with these crayons:

The one on the right is a pink crayon while the other one is apparently violet. I had to test it to actually know what color it is:

Before writing that, I thought it was black. I might be color blind. What do you think?

This is quite a useful 'toy', which is what I normally look for in toys. After Brianna uses up all the pages, she can use the crayons to color her homework and stuff.

Christmas Gifts Review Part 2: My Little Pony Equestria Girls Dolls

Brianna got 3 My Little Pony: Equestria Girls dolls last Christmas and two of them were from me. She loves My Little Pony so much, as we've all established here, so I thought that getting her the Equestria Girls dolls would freak her out - in a good way - and it did! She can't stop carrying them everywhere we go.

To be quite honest, I found these dolls cute so when she requested for these, I didn't flinch one bit. Hehe.

Pinkie Pie

The dolls are a lot smaller than Barbie and a lot thinner. I think they're made of hard plastic like those mean girls in the greatest chick flick ever made. Their skins are the same colors of their pony counterparts and they have pony ears on top of their heads so they kinda look weird in a way. They also have their cutie marks tattooed on their faces. All of them have lapel microphones on their heads which you can remove and put on the other dolls.

Rarity

The first two dolls right here have rubber tops and shiny skirts while the last doll has one huge puffy dress:

Twilight Sparkle

All of them have lapel mics and shoes made of the same material as the tops. Best of all, you can mix and match the parts - which is Brianna's favorite part:

Here are what the dolls look like wearing clothes different from their own:

I love Pinkie Pie wearing Twilight Sparkle's dress! Okay, I might be biased because I love the Pinkie Pie doll itself.

Brianna has 3 dolls now and she's requesting to get the 3 remaining dolls - Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash - on her birthday...which is in February. Haha! Gusto talaga niya kumpletuhin.

All in all, I love these dolls. They're so much lighter than Barbie dolls so carrying all of them in my purse is not a big deal and this is probably better than the mix and match thing. At the rate Brianna's going, I might have to carry all 6 dolls all the time once she completes them.

Get more discounts with iPrice coupons!

I am an avid online shopper. I have been doing it for a long time, even before Brianna, browsing through numerous online shops for days on end that sometimes an e-mail confirmation is all that I can show for the day.

I frequent online shops in Instagram and Facebook but only because they are in there whenever I check my messages/stalk people (hihi) but my best-bet online shops are Zalora Philippines and Lazada because of their efficiency and the quality of the brands that they hold.

Now, since Zalora and Lazada are trusted - and legit - online shops, you can actually use codes when buying from their websites. Most of the time, I wait for them to send coupons or hold flash sales. Yes, I have too much time on my hands. That is the very same reason why I've decided to check this website out:

iPrice is a coupons website that offers coupons for several online shops that are available in the Philippines. So if you're someone like me who loves online shopping, I'm willing to bet that you're gonna love browsing through this user-friendly website. What's great about their coupons is that you can actually use them even if there's an existing promotion in the online shop you're browsing! The same is true for sale items! I mean, wow, right?

Now, if you're planning on shopping early for Laboracay or something, head on over to your favorite online shop and use iPrice coupons for a more discounts on your purchase. You won't regret it.

Christmas Gifts Review Part 1: Disney Books

Brianna received a whole lot of gifts this Christmas, mostly from my dad's side of the family, and most of them are toys but I am so happy to say that some of them are books. I love reading myself, so I teach my daughter that reading is a fun activity that she could do when she needs to pass time...or want to travel.

Anyway, here are two books she got last Christmas:

Both books are made of cardboard, just the way I like my children's story books. The Disney Princess Ballerina Beauties book was sooooo girly with all the pinks, the flowers, and the ballet shoes while the Toy Story 3 What A Team book is the exact opposite with action scenes from the Toy Story 3 movie.

The Disney Princess Ballerina Beauties is a book that describes the princesses in their ballerina poses in a sort of sing-song kind of way. Let me make it easy for you by saying that the lines rhyme. It's kinda cool (for me) because the recall is easy and somehow, that one's important for me.

This book is Brianna's favorite as of the moment just because Jessie the Cowgirl is in it. The Toy Story 3: What A Team book crammed a 1-hour, 40+-minute movie into 5 small boxes in 10 cardboard pages. Whoever summarized the movie into this book is one helluva editor. Hands down talaga ako!

I would've loved for Brianna to have received more books than toys last Christmas but that doesn't mean that I am not thankful for all the gifts and blessings that were bestowed on us over the holidays.

Brianna on a Monster High...high.

Early November's Happy Meal toy happened to be one of Brianna's favorites: Monster High. Personally, I am not so fond of these characters because they look like witches but Brianna adores them so much, I let her have some items with the Monster High characters. I don't let her watch the series, though.

Lucky for her, 4 toys have been released by McDonald's for early November's Happy Meal (which, apparently, already ended because I just checked the McDonald's app and they now have the penguins from the movie Madagascar):

And the bebe couldn't be any more happier (and arte-er):

Chilling Chamber Keeper

The first one we got was the Chilling Chamber Keeper. It's my favorite among the set. It came with 2 sheets of stickers, a few sheets of notepads, and some activity sheets which Brianna used, like, within 2 hours upon opening the package. The box was made of plastic and is pretty roomy for the way it looks. It won't fit a standard pen/pencil but it can fit Crayolas and colored pencils the size of the pencil that came with it (which was pink, by the way).

Ghoulfriend Locket

Brianna's favorite, the Ghoulfriend Locket, came with cardboard photos of the 3 characters and their pets (probably...I wouldn't know because I haven't seen the series). It's made of plastic, too, and I love the details on the locket itself. Obviously, Brianna loves this so much, she wants to bring it with her to school everyday.

Clawsome Magnet Clip

The Clawsome Magnet Clip, I have to admit, is cute although I can't stick it on anything in our room. It came with 2 sheets of stickers - looooove the cat with an attitude - and a few sheets with the Monster High logo, I assume: a skill with a fuchsia pink ribbon like a gothic Hello Kitty.

Spooky Specs

This red plastic Spooky Specs is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. The temple parts (I had to find what they were called!) could be opened as wide as you want to. They can be snapped on and off, most probably anticipating kids to somehow break it on the hinge part (huhuhuhu my Firmoo aviators). The specs also don't have any glasses on them for safety purposes, too, I assume. Anyway, I had to take a photo of Brianna wearing it because she was too cute!

See? I told you she's too cute!

This Monster High set is pretty cool, considering the McDonald's Happy Meal toys that came before this one and I can safely assume that both Brianna and I are hoping that the next toys will be as good as this set. We'll be more than willing to collect the set in one sitting, if that's the case.

(Please, McDonald's, My Little Pony and/or Hello Kitty - again! My Little Pony for Brianna and Hello Kitty for me. Hehe.)

Get yummy food via FoodPandaPH!

I guess every single parent knows how hard it is to balance work, friends, dating, me-time, and the kids. I know I do. Sometimes, it gets as worse for me as actually forgetting to eat...or remembering to eat but not having the time to actually get food. Good thing there's food delivery services available everywhere now. You don't have to worry about getting food at the end of the day, when you just want to sit back, put your feet up, and watch Primetime Bida 'til you can't anymore.

Internet has helped us have a more comfortable life, with almost everything accessible by just clicking a button and that includes getting food. I am so guilty of abusing online ordering systems and I've probably tried each and everyone of them. One of the better systems out there has got to be FoodPandaPH. If there are three words to describe the FoodPandaPH experience, they are easy, yummy, and fuhreakin'awesome. Yes, that's one word. Hihi.

FoodPanda.PH is an online ordering system that has a wide range of restaurants serving different cuisines in their portal where customers can order and have their food delivered at their doorsteps...or desks. Some popular restaurants in their portal are Yellow Cab, Gerry's Grill, The Aristocrat Restaurant, and Tony Roma's.

Ordering from FoodPandaPH is easy...especially if you learn it using this adorable comic strip I got from MommyBloggersPhilippines.com.

The FoodPandaPH website isn't the only place you can order food from your area. They have apps for iOS, Android, and Windows so you can order food even if you're on the go.

If anything, though, I just hoped that all the restaurants in FoodPandaPH didn't have a delivery minimum fee. I mean, I am pretty sure that there are times when you just want to eat, say, a bowl of ramen noodles on a cold Sunday night and it might be disappointing to find out that your favorite Japanese restaurant won't deliver unless you order Php450 worth of ramen noodles.

Now that it's out there, though, I want me some ramen.

Doc McStuffins Hugs and Snugs Contest

Lately, I've been on the mommy mindset a lot: thinking of where I'd get the money for Brianna's upcoming birthday party (in school), trying to budget what money I have now to last at least til the end of the year, scheduling different activities for Brianna, the boyfriend, and I to enjoy... It gets tiring a lot of times and I do quite a lot of nonsensical things whenever I take a breather from being a mom. One of those "nonsensical things" was join this contest in Disney Junior Asia called the Doc McStuffins Hugs and Snugs Contest and guess what?

WE WERE ONE OF THE WINNERS!!!

They sent us a bunch of Doc McStuffins toys as prize and they all came last Monday:

What we got were the following:

1. Doctor Dress-Up Set (which Brianna opened right away)
2. Musical Light-Up Mic
3. I Feel Better First Aid Kit
4. Big Book of Boo Boos
5. Doc & Friends (Stuffy)
6. Doc & Friends (Chilly)

That is one happy little girl!

I had her open one of the prizes right away, as promised. She picked the Doctor's Dress-Up Set and this is how she looks like in it:

A quick review of the Doctor's Dress-Up Set:

1. The white doctor's lab coat and striped inner shirt were too big for her right now, which is perfect for next Halloween (MUHAHAHAHA saved, like, 800 pesos for next year's costume).
2. The signature Doc McStuffins pink headband is not of standard size. I guess it would fit a kid with a cone for a head or something. It was that tight.
3. The doctor's name badge came with interchangeable inserts: There's one with Doc McStuffins' name on it and the other one's blank for the kids' name.
4. The pink plastic stethoscope doesn't make any sounds or even just light up. It's so cute, though.

I kept everything else so I can wrap them for Christmas. I explained to her how she'd have more gifts to open for Christmas if she didn't open everything in one go and she was immediately on board.

We already have some of the prizes (Musical Light-Up Mic, Doc & Friends - Stuffy, and Doc & Friends - Chilly) and Brianna, being the thoughtful girl that she is, told me we could give them to her cousins/titas (my baby cousins) as gifts this Christmas.

Personally, I can't wait to open the I Feel Better First Aid Kit. I've seen that one in Toy Kingdom the first time they had Doc McStuffins toys in stock and I immediately fell in love with it...okay, I totes love anything that comes close to being an organizer of sorts. Anyway, I am posting the reviews of the other toys after Christmas, once she opens them.

I love joining contests and I love winning them but most of all, I love winning them for my daughter. It makes me feel like I'm making her feel proud of me. Yes, right now they're just petty online contests but next time, I'll win in life and she will be so damn proud I'm her momma just like I am proud that she's my daughter.

Brianna's First Haircut at Cuts 4 Tots

I know that it's been more than two weeks since Brianna got her first haircut but as we all say, better late than never!

I've decided long before Brianna was about to get her haircut that a professional would do it. The fact that she might have lesser hair than a usual one-year old didn't actually occur to me. Either way, I wasn't going to touch her hair anyway because I am one of those people who does not do well with scissors on her hand.

We visited Cuts 4 Tots at the SM Megamall Annex last July 2, 2012 for Brianna's haircut.

Last photos with Brianna's long(er) hair.

At first she was really calm and even played with the very patient employees but when she heard the snips of the scissors, she started panicking. She was crying the whole time - which was about 10 minutes, 15 maximum - and I was having a hard time trying to get her to sit on the car so I don't have photos while she was having the haircut.


I just had her buntot cut off because it looks really awful. Her bangs were cut, too. They just cut it straight so she'd look cuter. The result?

It doesn't look much in the photos but you'd know the difference when you see her in person.


Cuts 4 Tots also offer this Baby's First Cut Certificate and being the mom that I am, I availed it and after two weeks of processing from the haircut day itself, here's Brianna's certificate:

Everything cost me Php490. The certificate costs Php195 while the haircut cost Php295. Just enough for a kid's haircut if you ask me. It was worth it in my part, too, because Brianna was not really cooperating. I can't imagine doing everything on my own!


Children's haircut is not the only service they offer. They also offer adult haircut, bang trim, hot oil treatment and shampoo and blowdry. They also offer baby products like hand sanitizers, anti-bug sprays and styling gel for kids. Cuts 4 Tots is defintely a one-stop shop when it comes to all your baby's hair needs.

The Megamall Annex branch isn't the only branch that Cuts 4 Tots has. They have branches in Glorietta 4, SM Mall of Asia, V-Mall, Eastwood Mall, SM North EDSA, Trinoma and SM Pampanga.

Since Cuts 4 Tots are celebrating their 10th year this year, they are offering a 50% discount for their Baby's First Haircut Certificate. Just print the photo embedded below and present it to your Cuts 4 Tots employee to avail of the discount:

Coupon from Cuts 4 Tots website

You have three days left to avail of the discount so hurry now to the nearest Cuts 4 Tots branch and get your baby the haircut s/he so deserves.